Magic on the Dead Chapter 116

A dim light illuminated the inside of the bookstore, and Hajin slowly blinked, looking around.

It was a scene like a watercolor painting, heavily saturated with water. The interior, seen with the wavering candlelight, looked exactly like the peaceful world it had been before it was filled with bloodshed.

Eden leisurely walked through the bookstore, scanning the titles of the displayed books. He was as relaxed as a man who had stumbled upon an independent bookstore after getting lost late at night, and Hajin, watching Eden’s profile, fell into the vain delusion that he might have come to a different universe.

This place is another Earth in a parallel world. As soon as he thought that, the zombie virus that had spread everywhere, the little time he had left with Eden, and his worries about his younger brother Junseok all seemed to be forgotten as if they were lies.

Hajin cast his gaze to where the man’s hand was headed. A straightly extended finger passed the non-fiction section and picked up a romance novel with cute lettering on the cover. It was the moment he pursed his lips tightly, swallowing the laugh that was about to burst out at the unexpected choice.

“I saw that, you were smiling.”

“…I wasn’t smiling.”

“Why. Is there a law that says I can’t read books like this?”

“No, it’s not that… It’s just so unexpected.”

He had only picked it up because the illustration, which resembled Hajin’s ash-gray eyes, had caught his attention, but Eden, quite pleased with Hajin’s face that reacted so colorfully to his every action, did not bother to correct his taste.

Following his lead, Hajin also casually picked up a book of essays. The cover was unusual and lonely, featuring a flamingo in a scarlet coat standing rigidly in the middle of a cold city. Although he could not understand the meaning of the illustration, Hajin quite liked the picture.

“Mr. Do Hajin is unexpected too. You don’t look like you’d even keep a diary, yet you’re choosing an essay collection.”

“…I keep a diary too, you know? Though it is only sometimes.”

“I see.”

Eden looked down at Hajin with a face full of amusement and tapped the corner of the book with the flamingo on it, as if flicking it.

“Did you know this? Flamingos are one of the bird species where homosexuality is very commonly found. What’s more, male couples sometimes adopt and raise the offspring of other females together.”

Hajin’s eyes widened at the new information he had never heard of before.

“What? Animals are homosexual too?”

It was a question so innocent it was absurd. Eden, momentarily at a loss for words, blinked his eyes for a second, then laughed with a sound like air escaping.

“…You can assume that homosexuality or bisexuality exists in almost every species that can be observed with the naked eye.”

When the explanation followed that same-sex love was not a monopoly of humans but a part of the providence of nature, Hajin cast his gaze down at the cover he was holding, as if it were fascinating.

“I really didn’t know. Why have I never thought about it? How did you know about something like that, Mr. Jung Taegeon?”

“Because it’s a topic you can’t not know if you’ve ever experienced confusion about your own sexual orientation. Of course, it’s probably rare for people to know that the flamingo is one of the animals that symbolize homosexuality.”

…Ah. A small sigh escaped Hajin’s lips at the rather serious reply.

Eden’s eyes shone for a moment as he held Hajin’s gaze intently.

“I knew that Mr. Do Hajin had no experience with men… but seeing you like this, it does make me think you really don’t know anything. Do you have any experience with one-sided love? For a man.”

Hajin put down the book he was holding and scratched the nape of his neck. The kiss marks that had been embroidered all the way to the back of his neck had now faded quite a bit.

“I’ve really never been interested in a man. Of course, Mr. Jung Taegeon is an exception.”

Eden’s lips formed a gentle curve, as if he was pleased with the answer.

“I will be Mr. Do Hajin’s first and last man.”

It would not be wrong if he were to be bitten by a zombie and die tomorrow, but Hajin found his confidence in casually discussing the end to be somewhat absurd.

“Still, you never know what will happen in a person’s life, so talking about the last is a bit… Aren’t you being too overconfident?”

“I will be your last as a man. The more I look at Mr. Do Hajin, the more you are the epitome of a heterosexual man.”

He could not think of anything to refute the man’s confident words. How on earth could he define his own sexual orientation, having lived his entire life as a heterosexual man only to fall for a man in an instant?

A homosexual man who had lived under the delusion that he was heterosexual? Or if not that, a bisexual man who loves both women and men?

Even setting aside such definitions, to be honest, just as Eden had asserted, Hajin could not imagine himself with another man at all. Hajin, clearing his throat for no reason, changed the subject.

“When did you first realize, Mr. Jung Taegeon? Your sexual orientation.”

“I knew in elementary school. Even when I was young, I was more interested in making boys cry than girls. Of course, as long as the person is good, I don’t really mind the gender.”

This time, he moved toward the merchandise corner. The display counter was lined with small, handmade crafts. A Post-it note with round handwriting on it caught his eye, placed on top of a book-shaped magnet carved from wood.

[Free merchandise for our bookstore guests~^^ My youngest son’s work hehe. Only 1 per person!]

Hajin stared at the writing for a moment, then tucked a small magnet into his pocket. It was a gift to take to Junseok, who had a hobby of collecting souvenir magnets.

“I have something I’m curious about too.”

“What is it?”

“When was Mr. Do Hajin’s first time having sex?”

In contrast to the provocative question, Eden’s voice was utterly plain. Hajin rolled his eyes, looking troubled.

“Umm, well…. I did it when I was old enough to know everything, I guess.”

“Such a player.”

“…I didn’t say what age I did it.”

“Seeing you drag out your words, I can pretty much guess.”

“Then when did you do it, Mr. Jung Taegeon?”

“I also did it when I was old enough to know everything. Just like Mr. Do Hajin.”

“Who’s calling who a player.”

As they bickered and climbed the pine staircase on the right, an attic with large windows on all sides, like a pavilion, was revealed. The two men sat on cushions embroidered with flower patterns and looked down out the pitch-black windows.

Chirp— Buzz— Buuuzz— As the night deepened, the sounds of crickets and cicadas crying gradually grew louder.

“If you’re done looking around, stick out your foot.”

Hajin’s head tilted at Eden’s sudden request.

“Why?”

“So I can suck it.”

Before he could be stopped, his leg was pulled down with a swoosh. Hajin, now in a half-reclining position, blinked his eyes in bewilderment. The sock he was wearing was whipped off.

“I’m joking. There’s something I need to check.”

Eden massaged his stiff calf and inspected his bare foot here and there. A moment later, he discovered a wound on his ankle bone and clicked his tongue, tsk.

“I knew this would happen after you’ve been limping for a few days.”

As he chided him in a way that was not hateful, Hajin glanced at him furtively and then gathered his disheveled body to sit up. A stinging gaze landed on the wound he had gotten from being scraped by his rain boots the other day.

“Can’t you see it’s already oozing? You said you were fine every time I asked, so what is this?”

Hajin wiggled his toes in embarrassment. Eden, as if he had prepared it in advance, took out a powdered ointment he had brought from the pharmacy from his pocket.

“Jeffrey has the waterproof bandages, so let’s put one on before we leave tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

As if not satisfied even after applying the ointment to his foot, he meticulously examined Hajin’s entire body. He was just like a parent scolding a child who had come home with scrapes from playing outside.

Hajin no longer felt awkward showing his wounds to his hands. Since a devoted touch had reached it, this wound, too, would heal without difficulty. He now knew that every moment he had caressed his wounds had been an act of affection.

“By any chance, Mr. Jung Taegeon, do you not have any hobbies?”

“A hobby?”

“Seeing the crafts downstairs earlier suddenly made me curious.”

Eden stroked his chin as if contemplating the sudden question.

“Well. I was also a person who lived knowing nothing but work… Hmm, if I had to squeeze one out, I suppose there is one.”

“What is it?”

“There was an outdoor shooting range on the company grounds, so I visited it often. I used to frequently make bets with the executives over who would pay for meals there.”

“…Shooting guns was your hobby? Isn’t that just an extension of your work?”

Although a shooting gun certainly suited his visuals better than cross-stitching or flower arrangement, Hajin could not erase the impression that his life had been just as terribly boring as his own.

Eden, witnessing his vaguely crumpled expression, gave a short, self-deprecating laugh.

“Well, you have a point. Being called out by pot-bellied executives at all hours, it was closer to working overtime than a hobby.”

“So what happened with the bets?”

“I won them all. I suppose I had an advantage since I was a former soldier. They just kept losing money by challenging me, so after a few months, no one asked me to bet anymore. After that, I naturally started going to the shooting range alone.”

He playfully nudged Hajin’s foot and asked.

“Mr. Do Hajin must have shot a gun or two in the army. Do you want to make a bet sometime later? At the outdoor shooting range I frequent.”

“You’d better be prepared if you want to go against me.”

“Are you good at shooting?”

“Yes, I was a sharpshooter when I was a trainee. They said they’d let me go to the Post Exchange.”

Eden propped his elbows on the windowsill and rested his chin on his hand, his face an ambiguous mix of holding back laughter and holding back a sigh.

“What is your favorite movie genre?”

He asked like an interviewer, gazing at Hajin. Hajin wiggled his body over and leaned his upper body against the windowsill next to Eden. His ash-gray eyes rolled left and right as if pondering the question.

Favorite movie genre…

“I tend to watch everything well without being picky, but if I had to choose, I think I like science fiction. I can’t get enough of disaster movies or space movies. I feel like Mr. Jung Taegeon would like these genres too. Right?”

“Unfortunately, our movie tastes are completely different. I don’t particularly enjoy genres with a large scale.”

“Huh? Why?”

Eden smiled, as if amused by his lover’s reaction, whose eyes had grown round.

“It’s a kind of occupational hazard. Disaster movies and science fiction often have terrible historical accuracy, so I can’t just sit and watch them.”

“Then what do you enjoy watching?”

“I like the comedy genre.”

At the unexpected answer, Hajin’s mouth fell open once again.

“No way.”

“An entire shelf in my study is filled with ///Dumb and Dumber/// DVDs. It’s a work that’s been made into a series since the 60s, and I’ve collected everything, even the early script books. Have you ever seen ///Dumb and Dumber/// by any chance?”

“Uh… no?”

“I’ll show it to you when you come to the United States later.”

The conversation naturally transitioned to the topics of books, music, and food that had influenced each other’s growth. From minor habits to bad habits, things they did without fail every day, and even the body wash they liked to use. A serene smile remained on both of their faces the entire time they shared the pieces that made them who they were.

The conversation continued deep into the night. In a world where survival had become the only goal, even as they shared tastes that were now completely useless and made promises with no set date, neither of them mentioned the possible farewell of tomorrow.

The two did not return to the room where the others were sleeping but lay down on the hard floor. And as the flickering candles went out one by one, they silently took in each other’s faces. It was an obsessive gaze, as if trying to engrave every single strand of the other’s eyebrow into their minds.

Hajin turned his head first and kissed Eden. A gentle and affectionate kiss followed, but contrary to his expectation, Eden did not hold Hajin that night.